PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE

November 3, 2004

Americans United for Separation of Church and State
www.au.org

BUSH RE-ELECTION MEANS MORE ATTACKS ON CHURCH-STATE WALL, SAYS AMERICANS
UNITED

Culture War May 'Go Nuclear,' Says Watchdog Group

The re-election of President George W. Bush yesterday will spark more
attempts to erode the wall of separation between church and state and will
almost certainly increase the influence of the Religious Right,

says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

A second Bush term will also lead to a spike in divisive "culture war"
issues as the Religious Right seeks payback for helping Bush stay in
office, said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn.

"The Religious Right is already crowing about providing Bush's margin of
victory," Lynn said. "The movement's leaders expect to be handsomely
rewarded for that. The culture war may go nuclear.

"I don't think most Americans want Jerry Falwell and other TV preachers
calling the shots in Washington," Lynn continued. "But people are going to
have to speak up loud and clear to make sure members of Congress know
that."

Lynn said the country can expect more battles over divisive issues such as
same-sex marriage, religion in public education, "faith-based" initiatives
and displays of religious symbols in government buildings.

The most bruising battles, Lynn said, will occur when there are vacancies
on the Supreme Court. Most neutral observers agree that there will be two
to four openings on the court within the next four years.

Religious Right groups will demand that high court appointees meet a litmus
test and agree with fundamentalists on issues like legal abortion, gay
rights, government funding of religion and religion in public schools, Lynn
charged.

"Three more Clarence Thomas clones sitting on the Supreme Court could
redefine religious freedom and church-state separation," Lynn said. "A
court beholden to TV preachers and the Religious Right could overturn
existing precedents and reopen a host of issues that we thought were
settled."

Lynn vowed that AU will remain vigilant.

"We're not about to roll over and play dead," he said. "Millions of
Americans oppose the theocratic agenda of the Religious Right. Bush's
victory in a close race by no means gives him a mandate to knock down the
church-state wall."

Lynn noted that exit polls indicate that most Americans who voted for Bush
did not do so because they want to roll back church-state separation.
According to exit poll numbers reported by MSNBC, only 16 percent of Bush
voters cited "moral issues" as their top concern.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious liberty
watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization
educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in the
safeguarding religious freedom.


AUcorbin@aol.com
www.au.org